On November 9, 1989 the Berlin Wall was brought down, unifying Germans from East and West. It remains a defining moment of 20th Century history.

On the 30th Anniversary of this historic event, Apple wanted to join the celebration and connect with our German customers in a way only Apple could.

‘The Wall. Shot on iPhone’ sought to capture the Berlin Wall in a way no one has before. We celebrated the Wall’s fall — by photographing its absence.

Through the lens of iPhone 11 Pro, and the eye of renowned Berlin street photographer Martin U Waltz, we captured 12 beautiful images of Berlin that simply would not have been achievable 30 years before.

In 1989, the physical presence of the Wall would have disrupted and bisected each shot.

Photographing these precise locations today reveals a new Berlin, where a nation once divided now comes together with no restrictions. Without the Wall, these shots become celebrations of freedom.

On November 9, 2019, ‘The Wall. Shot on iPhone’ took over the Berlin Apple Store. Presented as an in-store gallery, it adorned 12 huge, back-lit panels, presenting a powerful portrait of modern Berlin.

The aim of the project was to join the Anniversary celebrations in a way that felt true to our brand values. In Berlin 30 years ago there was no digital photography. However, we felt there was still a way to capture the fall of the Berlin Wall, on iPhone 11 Pro, in a way that would resonate powerfully with Berliners.

Over three days, renowned Berlin street photographer Martin U Waltz, walked the precise line of the Berlin Wall from the north of the city to its southern limits, capturing images as he went. Images that, in 1989, would have been blocked from view by the presence of the feared and hated Berlin Wall. Standing in these locations would have meant certain death.

On November 9, 2019, ‘The Wall. Shot on iPhone’ took over the Berlin Apple Store, revealing a view of modern Berlin instantly recognizable to the city's inhabitants, and simultaneously acknowledging the importance of a momentous and historic occasion.

The aim of the project was to deliver an in-store experience in retail which would capture the imagination of Berliners on the day of the Anniversary. As such, there were no sales metrics or KPIs attached to the project.

Our aim was only to join in the celebration in a novel and creative way.

On the day, however, the store received a huge increase in customers as word of the installation spread. Anecdotally, brand awareness and favorability were increased, with Berliners expressing their excitement and enthusiasm to our Apple Retail staff.

The gallery became a talking point, with many Berliners working their way around the store as they traced the route of the Wall through the images and, in many cases, shared their own memories of the city 30 years before.